After months of uncertainty regarding his future, Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is remaining with the club. News on the situation was revealed Tuesday night by The Athletic reporter David Ornstein. Team officials and the coach reportedly came to an agreement following positive discussions earlier in the day. The Dutchman will now be able to focus on player transactions during the summer transfer window.
The decision to keep Ten Hag will certainly be heavily debated by pundits and fans of the club. After all, opinions on the coach are about as polarizing as United’s 2023/24 campaign. The Red Devils finished eighth in the Premier League table on the season, their worst campaign in the modern era. Their negative goal differential was also the team’s lowest figure in 34 years.
Nevertheless, Ten Hag also guided the team to the FA Cup trophy in May despite being heavy underdogs. The Red Devils edged crosstown rivals Manchester City to collect the title thanks to goals from two teenagers. It was the Dutchman’s second trophy in as many years.
The triumph against all odds seemingly saved the coach’s job. Club ownership would have very likely fired Ten Hag if he had failed in the final match of the season.
Coach collected trophy while dealing with lengthy list of injuries
United executives went on to strongly consider sacking their manager even after the success at Wembley. It was recently reported that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the club’s new minority owner, held direct talks with Thomas Tuchel about joining the team. The German, however, eventually opted against potentially replacing Ten Hag at the helm.
With Tuchel out, Ratcliffe feels as if Ten Hag is the best person for the job at the moment. Despite the poor Premier League showing, club brass likely looked at the unfortunate injury list that the manager had to deal with during the 2023/24 season.
The Red Devils suffered 35 total injuries throughout their most recent campaign. This was the fourth-most setbacks of any English top-flight team. The injuries were also not necessarily minor issues. According to the same report, United players missed a combined 233 games during the season because of the issues.
After finishing third in the Premier League in 2022/23, Ten Hag regularly had to shuffle his starting XI during the 2023/24 campaign. United’s back line of defense was particularly hit hard due to injuries. Star left-back Luke Shaw missed 36 total fixtures because of muscular problems. Argentine center-back Lisandro Martinez was also forced to remain on the sidelines for 37 matches due to lower body issues.
United should wait on giving Ten Hag new contract
While Ten Hag managed to keep the team afloat and collect a trophy while dealing with a plethora of injuries, it is too soon to reward the manager with a new deal. Ornstein is reporting that team officials and the coach will soon begin negotiations over a contract extension.
The coach’s current contract expires in June 2025. However, there is also a club option to extend the deal for an additional year. Triggering this option would give the team some stability heading into the 2024/25 campaign. It would also show Ten Hag that the team is confident in his abilities to lead the club into the future.
Nevertheless, the Red Devils should avoid rewarding the Dutchman with an entirely new long-term deal. The upcoming season should be a determining factor in Ten Hag’s place with the team. Winning trophies is the goal for any manager, but a club like United should also be competing for Premier League titles as well.
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